GCSD Pay Raises And Water Rates

Spend. Spend. Spend.

The Groveland Community Services District Board of Directors just voted a raise for themselves at their June 10 meeting…in the midst of proposed huge water and sewer rate increases. A Public Hearing at the Groveland Resilience Center on June 18, Wednesday, 5pm will include a count of protest votes received and a board vote to approve or disapprove the staggering increases, which would become effective July 1 and continue to rise annually through 2029.

While GCSD is a Special District and, therefore, by law, board directors can legally receive compensation for their time, they are also a non-profit serving its ratepayers. How many other non-profits whose boards serve the greater Groveland/Big Oak Flat community are compensated?

Pine Mountain Lake Association BOD members are not compensated, nor are the board members of ROOFBB Charity, the Chamber of Commerce, the new Grade to Gate Foundation, the Pine Cone Performers, or the Southside Community Connections.

Let’s not forget GCSD’s fifteen local ratepayers who are CERT volunteers, under GCSD’s jurisdiction, who are not compensated for attending advanced training courses and being present at high-traffic local events. What about the board of directors of the Sheriff’s Community Services unit, none of whom are compensated nor are the five locally-based GCSD ratepayers who regularly volunteer their time in service of this community?

The GCSD board can now pay each Board member up to $700+ per month on a per meeting basis. That’s $8,500 per year per Board member. Times 5 BOD members. That’s a whopping $42,000+, which will certainly pay for GCSD board members’ water and sewer bills each month no matter the increase. That money could also help several families on a fixed income pay their water bills if the increases take effect.

In comparison, the Tuolumne Utilities District Board of Directors (TUD), with over 14,000 service connections (compared to GCSD’s 1,500), can receive up to $225 per meeting. What’s important to know, however, is that their last increase was 32 years ago. Furthermore, they are not planning to give themselves an increase during a Board meeting but are considering a public hearing in August to vote on an increase.

Get on board, GCSD board. Just because the law says you can get paid, doesn’t mean you should vote yourself to get a raise every year and especially now. After all, you do care about the community in which you live and work. Isn’t that why you serve on this board?

Take a lesson from other local non-profit boards and community service organizations who work as many hours as each of you, if not more. Take a lesson from TUD. Remember who is paying you. It’s not GCSD. It’s your neighbors, friends, and small businesses you rely upon in this community…the very same people who will be hamstrung by these proposed rate increases.